There is a different feel to JDC-Miller MotorSports since the last time Kaylen Frederick was in the car. 

Frederick is back co-driving the #5 Porsche 963 for the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of The Glen, a little over three months since his previous appearance at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Over that stretch, the John Church-led outfit managed to acquire Porsche factory breakout star Laurin Heinrich for the sprint rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with the German helping pull off a stellar victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - the first-ever privateer win in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.

Through the uniqueness of Heinrich sitting second in the championship, courtesy of his two season-opening wins with his other responsibilities with Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM), he was pivoted - and added - to JDC-Miller’s endurance lineups for Watkins Glen International and Road America. He will end the season with PPM at Petit Le Mans before taking over one of the entries full-time next season. 

Frederick, 24, made his IMSA debut at Daytona and has been doing mostly simulator work since Sebring. However, he was present for Heinrich’s first weekend with JDC-Miller at Long Beach, where they finished sixth.

Kaylen Frederick, ART Grand Prix

And this weekend the Maryland has enjoyed not only getting back in the car, but getting the opportunity to work with Heinrich, as the pair also co-drive the entry with full-timer Tijmen van der Helm.

“It's been really good,” Frederick said. “I mean, to be honest, he has more races with the team than I do now, because I've only done Daytona and Sebring. He brings a lot of experience, which is great for the team. Just helping them develop and go in the right direction. It's something that I can only give a certain amount of feedback of what I'd like with the car. But, somebody that has that more experience and sort of knows what helps it go fast can move the team in the right direction, which is tricky for me or Tijmen to do. 

“Obviously, with not having the experience from Penske or being a Porsche factory driver, you just get that bit more information, right? You have more experience.”

#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich, Laurens Vanthoor

While it might appear to be a significant difference in experience, Frederick also noted how the differences in the team - and car, as JDC-Miller runs without this year’s Joker upgrades - are something to retain awareness of as the weekend goes on.

“I think the main thing that we're also having to manage is to maximize what we have and not necessarily try to copy other people, because it is still a different car,” Frederick said. 

“It's a different philosophy. So I think we're having to not take it with a grain of salt, but make sure we're not going too far away from our own philosophies that we're not in no man's land. 

“We're just trying to find a balance of going in a certain direction that Laurin might feel is better, but also making sure we're still within a good window and not just massively experimenting for a race because you still want to get a good result. But I think they've done a good job at the sprint races recently. They've been pretty strong. So, yeah, we'll see how we go this weekend. I think we have a good opportunity to be pretty quick.” 

Looking forward

#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich, Kaylen Frederick

As it stands, Frederick will only be in the car for the remaining endurance rounds as he focuses on a budget to expand his racing presence next season. With that in mind, there are certain things he wants to see out of himself before the year is over.

“Obviously everyone wants a good result,” he said. “They want the number, but I think it's all relative to the car's performance.

“Sebring or Daytona was never really possible for us to get on the podium. But at some race this year, it might be like it was at Laguna. So we'll obviously capitalize on those races when we do have a good performance. Otherwise, I think having Laurin in the car, just making sure I am learning a lot. Because he is quite helpful in giving those last bits of performance. He knows where all those small pieces are. But also, I think there is just a lot to learn in general. I'm still very new to endurance racing. I think I did relatively well at Daytona and Sebring, but I just want to polish up on a lot of different things. And get more comfortable with them so I feel more vetted because every time I get in the car, it feels like I'm getting up to speed. As opposed to I'm already on it and I can keep improving and pushing the team.

“So I think just to gather that experience is the main thing. And yeah, get used to every track and get more comfortable with the car just so I'm not getting in the car and feeling like I'm playing catch-up, because that's what it feels like when you're out of the car for three months.”

Watch: The Rolex 24 at Daytona: Precision, Perfection, and The Road To Victory (IMSA Endurance Racing)

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The old racing adage says your teammate is your first rival, but Felipe Nasr is taking that paradox to a whole new level this weekend at Watkins Glen International. 

As the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship heads to the historic 3.4-mile, 11-turn natural terrain road course for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the Brazilian finds himself hunting down a primary title contender who also happens to share his exact same cockpit for select endurance rounds in breakout star Laurin Heinrich.

When asked how he approaches the unique dynamic of racing against a driver who he also shares a seat with, Nasr didn't hesitate.

“Listen, I race anyone as hard as I can and I want to compete against the best,” Nasr told Motorsport.com.

An unprecedented title fight

#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, Felipe Nasr

Heinrich has set the sports car world ablaze this season. While he serves as the third driver alongside Nasr and full-season co-driver Julien Andlauer in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 for select long-distance rounds, his primary campaign in IMSA is being contested with the privateer squad JDC-Miller MotorSports. 

Thanks to an incredible upset victory with the customer team earlier this season at Laguna Seca, Heinrich has vaulted into sole possession of second place in the driver standings, shaking up the factory hierarchy. The performances also led to a reshuffling of his schedule, which originally had him missing a couple of IMSA rounds due to conflicts, such as this weekend’s Spa 24 Hours. Now, he’s sorted and primed to properly fight for the IMSA crown.

The championship picture

#31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti

As the field arrives at the New York circuit, it’s tight the margins at the top of the GTP class. Jack Aitken, driver of the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R Whelen Cadillac, leads the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with 1760 points, with Heinrich second (-144), and the combination of Andlauer and Nasr third (-154). 

Although the slim 10-point margin has Heinrich ahead of his occasional co-drivers in the full season championship, the three are actually leading the Endurance Cup together after going a perfect 2-for-2 with victories at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

However, that shared harmony pauses this weekend as Heinrich suits up for the JDC-Miller team, directly threatening Nasr’s quest to maintain his stranglehold on the Endurance Cup – a crown Nasr has claimed for the previous two consecutive seasons.

High praise for the breakout apprentice

#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Laurin Heinrich, Kaylen Frederick

For all this odd rivalry is, however, Nasr offered high praise for the young German and his full-season partner, Andlauer.

“Both Laurin and Julien, man, they have been doing a great job,” Nasr said. “They came through the ranks, Porsche juniors, now factory drivers, and they've been delivering. I couldn't ask for a better start of the year.

“Seeing the success for them as well, you can see they are happy, they are achieving those goals they want to achieve as drivers. And yeah, just being at the right place at the right time. I think Laurin had the chance to show what he can do when he was at the right place at the right time.”

Nasr also isn't “shocked” that Heinrich, occasionally contesting with a customer team utilizing an older-spec aero package, is in the fight for the title. 

“No, I'm not shocked, because if you look back to our ’25 package, it's what we won the championship with,” Nasr said. "We won Daytona last year, we won Sebring... He does a great job as a driver to profit from those opportunities. When the car is right, the time is right, he has to deliver. And I think he's been delivering.”

Praying for rain at Watkins Glen

#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, Ricky Taylor

While the intra-Porsche battle provides plenty of theater, both camps are ultimately chasing Aitken. To close the gap, Nasr believes turning the tide this weekend will require an assist from the weather.

Having gone 2-for-2 in the endurance races so far this season, Nasr was asked if he can make it 3-for-3 at the Glen.

“I hope the rain comes this weekend, and then we'll beat everybody again,” Nasr said.

When pressed on whether he truly feels the #7 crew needs wet weather to win, Nasr didn’t mince words regarding the car's current standing of lacking outright pace compared to the Cadillacs.

“Oh, absolutely we need the rain because I feel we still lack speed compared to the other competitors, especially the Cadillac,” Nasr said. “When we are on our best day, best execution and performance wise, we always see this delta to them. They're always faster, better in qualifying, better in the race than us.

“I cannot pull any more gears in my car, so that's all I have. That's the situation we are in right now. But I have to say, when it comes to endurance racing, Porsche Penske has been executing really well, and I'm hoping the same for this weekend. So, we're going to bring our best game and try to beat everybody else.”

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